8. Pruning
Gardening is about far more than just getting the plants in the ground under the right circumstances and watching them grow from there; successful gardening requires a more hands-on approach, and the difference between a good gardener and a great gardener is how they’re able to keep the plant growth going.
A happy strawberry plant can provide you with many bountiful harvests for years to come, and it’s the truth that happier plants will produce larger tastier harvests.
You don’t have to play six hours of Bach to your strawberry plants in order to get them to thrive, but you can prune them at the right times to ensure that essential energy goes to the right places.
As a rule for strawberry plants, don’t cut too short to the plant – and stick to trimming what’s already dying off the plant instead of cutting off any healthy growth. Sharp shears will prevent damaging the stalks (or your hands) – and ideally, wear gloves for this.